Pilgrimage of the New Witch
by Incredibly Pyred
Summary: [Legend of Heroes III] During the spring after Julio and Chris' pilgrimage, a new witch arrives on her own journey... (Original by Junkkits. Translation by me.)


**Japanese Version: Junkkits**

 **Translation: Me**

* * *

Julio sighed, casting a wistful glance at Chris and Lap as they picked the herbs near Dene Lake. And by "they" he meant "him" because, well…

…Lap couldn't do any work, since he was an old man (and had a bad back by default). And Chris… Chris was slacking off after giving strict instructions to Julio, and was searching for a four-leaf clover instead.

"Hey, Chris? Why am I the only one doing work around here…?"

Julio murmured in a small voice. But as usual, Chris was the dominant one in their relationship, so he never made too much of a fuss about it.

"Hey, don't complain! If we both start picking 'em, we'll be done before any of us has some fun! I'll have fun for the both of us, so get to work!"

She retorted harshly. Julio gently tilted his head upwards, gulped at Chris's harsh expression, and then began picking the herbs even faster than before.

Grandpa Lap had placed his basket in a remote location and had settled down to bask in the sun, while the other two picked the herbs. He'd originally gone down to the beach himself, but Julio had bumped into him on the way out. And after checking whether or not Chris wanted to accompany them, they all made their way down to the beach.

Chris, in particular, needed to pick the herbs in order to make medicine for the village. But as it turned out, Julio was doing all the work.

After last autumn, where Chris and Julio finished their long pilgrimage, they'd begun talking more and more with Grandfather Lap. During a severe winter that occurred shortly afterwards, they frequently visited Lap's cabin, whether to visit or to simply talk. The three of them frequently talked about their pilgrimage, the events forty-nine years ago that Grandfather Lap was involved in, the Gagharv and the other worlds, and finally Queen Isabelle and the Wave of Raual.

For once, there was a winter in which Lap wasn't forced to spend it alone.

Just as he was fondly recalling his adventures in the past, Lap heard a voice.

"…If you see a signpost, you want to head down towards Laguna."

Lap listened to the old man giving directions as the other two watched from afar. An old man and a young lady with a staff from what he could make out… perhaps they were from Dene?

"H-Hey, Julio… do you think that's a…"

"A pilgrim…?"

Chris stood up to take a better look.

"She's beautiful… are we the same age…?"

The herbs long forgotten, Julio also stood up to take a better look.

"...And that's why I was wondering about her. Don't even _think_ about flirting with her, Julio."

Chris narrowed her eyes.

"Well… you... but I…"

Julio looked away and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Hmmmm? What was that?"

Chris bared her fangs more and more. Before she could rib Julio more, they heard an elderly voice call out.

"…Is that you, Mr. Lap? You finally came down from your cabin in the mountains?"

The old man had finally made his way to the group and nodded towards Lap, who had been sitting leisurely in the meadow.

"Ah, greetings Sage Wisdom. We had good weather today, so I decided to take a stroll."

Lap inclined his head in greeting.

"Sage Wisdom. It's been a while."

Chris bowed her head in deference. After all, he'd taken care of both her and Julio during the pilgrimage, even if it was only a brief moment.

"Ah yes, it _has_ been getting warm as of late. Ah, how the seasons pass…!"

The wise sage from Deane craned his head downwards and smiled at Chris, the corner of his eyes crinkling in fond remembrance.

"…Hello."

The woman accompanying Sage Wisdom greeted them politely.

"Hey, there! I'm Christina… Chris, for short."

When Chris returned her greeting, the woman's emerald eyes danced merrily. Chris drove an elbow in Julio's rib, jolting his attention. He laughed nervously, before stepping forward.

"Oh, uh… hey? My name's Julio! It's nice to meet you!"

Julio, who had straightened his posture to a ramrod straight, and coughed his greeting as politely as he could. Chris scrutinized him with hawk-like eyes for a moment, before nodding to herself.

"Ha… thank you. You are both very kind."

The woman chuckled. The light noise sounded like tinkling bells to Julio's ears. Now that he got a proper chance to look, she seemed to be taller than Chris, even though they were all about the same age. Her wavy hair was about as black as black, hanging down to her waist.

"…So, who are you?"

Asked Julio with a curious expression on his face.

"Dang it, Julio! Learn some decorum, why don't you! She's a lady! A laaaaady!"

Chris continued to disassemble everything he did wrong within the last five seconds of the conversation or so. Julio shrugged — as much as he was used to Chris' lectures at this point, he began to panic.

"S-Sorry! C-C'mon Chris! I said I was sorry!"

Julio apologized in a hurry. All of his words rushed out of his mouth like a geyser finally erupting from the earth.

The woman covered her mouth, laughing out loud at their banter.

"Ha ha... you two must be good friends."

The woman curtsied and bowed her head in a formal greeting.

"Please, call me Esfin."

"Esfin… that's a beautiful name."

Julio followed it up as he always did. Chris rolled her eyes and grumbled something that he couldn't make out.

" …If you have any questions, feel free to ask these two. They have recently finished the pilgrimage… a few months ago, I believe."

Sage Wisdom instructed Esfin seriously. She nodded in acknowledgement, and turned back towards Julio and Chris.

"…So you were on the pilgrimage a short while ago?"

She asked, interested. Scratching the back of his head, Julio attempted to recall when they'd started. It seemed to be all too long ago already…

"…That's right. I think we started somewhere around fall of last year."

"Fall...?"

Muttering to herself loudly, Esfin repeated Julio's words, as if tasting them on her tongue.

"Hey… um, what's the matter?"

"…No, it's nothing. I'm on the pilgrimage to visit every Magic Mirror in the world… or at least, that's what I'd like to say. It seems that I've gotten lost along the way."

Esfin's expression twisted wryly.

"To be fair, it _is_ easy to get lost around here."

Chris remarked. She placed her hands on her hips, as if it was something she was proud about.

"I'm afraid that the Magic Mirror located in where I lived is lost forever. The only mirrors I know of are located here, and, well…"

Embarrased, Esfin looked away and began toeing the dirt.

"So I'm guessing you've stopped doing the pilgrimage in your village?"

Chris asked bluntly.

Esfin answered, gazing into the far-flung distance.

"Yes… it's been a long time since we've had a pilgrimage."

"It was the same situation for us. Either way, Sage Wisdom will tell you where to go from here."

Julio said.

"Deane, Tegura, Igunis, Shifool, Oldos ... you'll be visiting those shrines. It won't be easy, but I'm sure that everyone will help you, as they did during our journey!"

Chris added.

"It looks like I was correct in going to you two."

Sage Wisdom said gladly.

"I thank you."

Esfin nodded, bowing her head in respect. Sage Wisdom's guidance had been useful on her journey, as short as it was, but it never hurt to receive help.

"Then if you will excuse me..."

After Sage Wisdom lowered his head in the exchange, he began hurrying back to Deane's shrine, which he had left unattended for too long. Julio and the others watched in amusement as he tottered off in the distance.

"…Hey, Chris, I've got a great idea! Let's go with her to Raguna! We can tell her a lot of stuff about our journey while walking there!"

Julio proposed hand-in-hand with Esfin. He looked at Chris pleadingly, making her sigh before pumping a fist in the air with a ferocious grin.

"N-No, I wouldn't want you to go through that trouble for me..."

Espin hastily protested. Unfortunately for her, Julio and Chris had already made their decision, practically dragging her in the direction of Lap.

"Heeeey, Julio~. Looks like you finally grew a backbone!"

"…Heh, I don't think it's all that bad once in a while."

They were about to depart at once.

Julio placed his basket of herbs in front of Grandpa Lap, and began apologizing profusely.

"Sorry Lap, but we're sending Esfin to Laguna. Be careful of the monsters on your way back, okay?"

"Sorry, Lap. Come back and pick the herbs yourself another day."

Chris echoed Julio's words, though they sounded cheery instead of concerned.

"Julio… Christina."

Lap, who had been listening silently till then called the two with an exasperated expression on his face. Both Julio and Chris paid close attention as Lap cleared his throat. He looked at them with a steely-eyed expression that they had started to notice as they talked more and more to him over the winter.

"Your kindness in aiding Esfin is admirable… but I do not think you should embark on another pilgrimage."

"Ah…"

Julio made a small noise. Chris looked slightly crestfallen and was about to argue when Lap continued.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't, but… the journey of pilgrimage is a rite of passage — an entryway into adulthood. Sometimes, it wouldn't do you any good to only receive kindness from the people around you. Getting lost in the world is as important of an experience as receiving the kindness of the people around you. To examine your own identity and to think about those around you… it is an important experience, is it not?

"..."

Julio and Chris stayed silent and listened to Lap. Not that it was only them… Esfin was also listening to the wise words from the old mage.

"But Lap, Esfin knows little about the pilgrimage!"

Julio looked as if he wouldn't give up his line of thought. But, after a moment of consideration, he nodded at Chris, before opening his mouth.

"Can we talk about our experiences, at least?"

Julio said nervously, gulping. Next to him, Chris' eyes opened up wide.

"Hey, wait a sec!"

Chris pulled on Julio's sleeve.

"W-What is it, Chris?"

"Lap's got a point, you know? We might be interfering too much if we just escort her all the way to Raguna."

"…Didn't you just agree with me five seconds ago?"

"Yeah, but... but you said we shouldn't talk too much about what we saw in the mirrors. And I quote 'It might cause mass panic'."

Chris attempted to persuade Julio with a slight emphasis at the end of the sentence.

"Well, yeah, but..."

Julio wasn't entirely convinced yet.

Jabbing a finger in his chest, Chris looked at him with a distraught expression on her face.

"We can't just talk about what we've gone through to some random joe! Come on, think a li-!"

"Then what if we just escort her to the signpost that points toward Rubera and Raguna? Even I should be able to be back fast enough if you wait here."

Lap sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, if you must..."

"It is as Ser Lap has said. I am fine as long as you point me in the direction that I need to go."

Esfin politely accepted Julio's help. She didn't want to make a big fuss out of everything, after all.

"Well, if Esfin insists."

Finally, Julio relented. Chris, as well, managed to relax as all the tension seemed to leave her shoulders.

"…We're sorry for taking up so much of your time."

Lap apologized to Esfin. She shook her and smiled gently at him.

"No, I am much grateful to your kindness. I would like to see _this_ world with my own eyes."

Her answer was very polite. She gave a little curtsy before rising again.

"Ho ho, how determined."

Lap narrowed his eyes while stroking his beard in thought. Almost like how a wise wizard would, but not quite making it in Julio or Chris' eyes.

"…If there is something you wish to talk about after visiting the mirrors, please remember these children around that time, Princess."

"!"

Surprised expressions ran down Esfin's face. Julio and Chris wore similarly shocked expressions as well. And then…

"Dang it, Lap! Have you finally gone senile!?"

"She isn't a princess, Lap!"

Two people began to lambast him with words, protests, and other harsh sentences.

"Ho ho… my apologies. I said I was sorry, okay?"

Lap smiled and repeatedly lowered his head a number of times.

"…I may ask how you knew about us in the future."

Esfin took Lap's hand into her own with a serious expression. Then, after a moment of contemplation…

"…When the time comes, please do not tell me anything that would shame my people."

"…I understand..."

And like a broken spell, he chose to ruin their sentimentality at that moment.

"Come on, Julio, Christina… lead her to the signpost before it becomes late."

Lap looked up at his protégés.

"Wait, what? That was it?"

Julio looked befuddled at how their conversation ended. Chris, on the other hand, shook her head.

"C'mon, let's go!"

Chris went over and picked up the rod she'd left lying around a few yards away. Espin stood up, and unslung her own staff that had been hanging off of her back. It was made of a white metal, and stood a little shorter than her when they were propped up against each other. A round, transparent stone was fitted in the tip of the staff, and the inscriptions carved into it had a very simple feel to it.

Suddenly, Julio felt a brief moment of nostalgia. As if the image of a white witch had overlapped Esfin's form for a moment...

"Well, we're heading out now!"

"Have a good day, Ser Lap."

Esfin bowed and started walking alongside Julio. Chris, who had begun following after a few steps, suddenly stopped in her tracks and rushed back to Lap.

"What's wrong, Christina?"

They looked for a pain-gazing moment in each other's eyes.

"After this… please don't tell us anything either, Lap. I'm not sure if Julio's heart could take it."

Laughter echoed in the afternoon air as Lap smiled.

"I understand, I understood. Please go now..."

"Heh, alright."

Lap watched as Chris ran to catch up with the others. The three youngsters walked side-by-side down the road to Raguna.

And, after seeing them off, Lap laid down and hummed a little tune he'd heard decades and decades before. The soothing melody of the ocean mixed with the vibrant air of spring as he closed his eyes and waited for Julio and Chris to come back.


End file.
